Combined step-ladder and ironing-board



(ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1..

H. D. PARKE.

UOMBINED STEP LADDER AND IRONING BOARD. No. 835,714. Patented Feb. 9, 1,886.

R ATTOR N EYS N. PETERS, Phmu-Lilho m hen \Vashingw. D. C.

(ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. D. PARKE. COMBINED STEP LADDER AND IRONING BOARD.

No, 335,714. Patented Feb. 9, 1886.

R ATTORNEYS HORACE D. PARKE, OF SYRACUSE, NEXV YORK.

GOIVIBINED STEP-LADDER AND IRONlNG-BOARD.

FJPECIFICA'I'ION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,714, dated February 9. 1886.

(Modeh To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HORACE D. PARKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Step-Ladder and Ironing-Board; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being held to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of this invention, and shows a top view arranged to receive an ironing-board. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same with the board on top, the section being taken where the broken line m 00 is marked on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing the device arranged as a ladder. Fig. 4 is a detail view to show the brace of the ladder. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detail views of the brace-locking devices.

This invention has relation toa device which is adapted to be convertible to an ironingboard, wash-bench, step-ladder, bosom-board, &c.; and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by letter, a indicates the main frame, which constitutes the bed of the wash-bench and also the intermediate section of the ladder; b, the legsections, which also constitutes the top and bottom sections of the ladder, respectively, and c is the brace-section for the entire ladder. The main frame a is pivoted at opposite ends to the inner sides of the respective legs by means of a transverse rod, A, and is provided on its under side, about midway its length, with equidistant transverse rounds or braces (l d, carrying upwardly-extending hooks B, to receive a spring fastening device at the inner or free ends of the brace-arms G O, which are hinged at their opposite ends to the lower portion of the respective leg-sections. The fastening devices at the'ends of the brace-arms are peculiar in construction, being of a form substantially as shown at D D, having a lateral longitudinal flange, 6, to engage the said arm, as shown, anda projection provided with an eye, f, to engage the hooks on the intermediate rounds, (I, of the main frame a. These fastening devices D D are also provided on their opposite longitudinal sides with an oblique flange or projection, g, which is designed to spring under the outer ends of the said braces, respectively, when the whole is folded up, which will prevent the said arms from falling down, and one of these castings, as .l), is provided at its outer end with an eye, h, to engage a stud, i, arranged upon a hinged brace-arm, a, of the ladder-brace leg-section 0, whereby the same may be held fixed with re lation to the ladder. The main frame a is also provided near its opposite ends with turnbuttons Z l, which are designed to engage the leg-sections, as shown, and hold the same fixed with relation to said main frame in forming the ladder.

The legsections b are designed to extend vertical] y above the main section a to receive and support an ironing-board or the like.

The brace leg-section c is composed of an up per or inner section, E, which is pivoted Within one end of the frame by a transverse rod, m, passing through the longitudinal rails of the said frame, and two long hinged legs, F, which are kept apart by means of a flat or other suitable spring, G, and are braced laterally by a transverse arm, n,whieh is hinged at one end to the inner side of one of the legs F, and engaged at its opposite end through an eye of the said arm by a loop or hook lug, p,

secured on the inner side of the opposite leg,

as shown. From the upper flat side of this brace-arm n, at one end thereof, is hinged a brace-arm, H, which in its normal position extends longitudinally oblique with relation to the leg-section c, and is provided at its free end with an eye or perforation to engage a stud, I, arranged upon the inside of the opposite leg F. Thus it will be seen that when the perforation at the outer end of the arm is brought to engage the stud I the arm n will be forcibly held down upon the hook-lug on the inner side of one of the legs F, when the entire section will be firmly and securely braced. The oblique brace arms H being hinged near the hinged end of the transverse arm a, when the former is disconnected from the stud on the inner side of one of the legs F and the latter brace-arm raised from its free end the said brace will be carried upwardly and closely against the opposite leg F, where ,it slides beneath the head of a screw, as shown at J, which will prevent its leaving such position until the arm n is again thrown down to brace the legs F; and as the stud on the arm n is designed to fit snugly an aperture within the brace H it will not fall or disconnect of its own accord. The hooks on the intermediate transverse bars of the frame a are provided on one side with an under shoulder, r, and the eyes of the castings on the leg-section braces are provided with springs L, arranged as shown, to insure a proper engagement of the eye with the said hook beneath its shoulder when the parts are brought together.

WVhen it is found desirable to form a washbench, the braces of the leg-section c are folded up and the legs F let in between the side rails of the main frame a and the leg-sections b b swung out in a vertical position and securely braced by means of the brace'arms O and G. Then by simply placing a board upon the upper ends of the leg-sections an ironingtable may be formed,- and when it is desired to convert the device into a step-ladder the leg brace-arms C O are first disconnected at their outer ends, and after the section 0 has been swung out and braced, as described, the leg-sections b b are swung around on their pivots to form an extension of the frame a, where they are secured by the turn-buttons on the said frame, the rounds of the same forming stops for the movement in one direction. One of the braces, O, is then hooked over the stud on the upper flat side of the brace 12 of the section a, when the ladderwill be firmly braced in an inclined position.

One of the leg-sections b is provided at its upper end with a crossbar, A, which is pivoted at opposite ends in the respective legs thereof, and is provided with a central vertical recess, a, adapted to engagea vertical circular stud, b, arranged on the under side of the ironing-board,whereby both a vertical and lateral hinge or pivotal joint may be formed between the said board and legsection. This board Z is also provided at one end on its upper side with two strips or cleats, which are arranged transversely at an interval for the reception of one of the edges of a bosom-board.

The whole device when not in use may be folded up into a flat parcel of rectangular contour for convenient transportation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination, with the main frame constituting the intermediate section of the ladder, of the pivoted leg-sections composing the upper and lower sections of the ladder, and means, substantially as described, for bracing the same, and the leg-section pivoted at one end to the main frame and adapted to be thrown outward to brace the ladder, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the main frame a, of the pivoted legs b, the pivoted braces O 0, having the apertured castings D D, respectively adapted to engage the hooks B on the rounds or bars of thesaid frame a, substantially as specified, the leg-section c, having a cross-bar, n, and the stud z, projecting from the cross-bar to engage an eye, 71 extending 75 from the casting D, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination,with the main frame, of the leg-sections b, the section 0, having the brace-arms H and n, arranged to operate substantially as specified, and the brace O, pivoted to one of the leg-sections and provided with a catch to engage the brace-section c, as and for the purposes set forth. 7

4. The combination,with the ladder-section, of the brace-section 0, consisting of the legs F, the arm a, hinged to the inner side of one of the legs F, and provided at its opposite end with an aperture toengage the lug on the opposite leg, and the oblique brace arms H, hinged to the said arm n and provided at its outer end with an aperture to engage a stud on the opposite leg F, all adapted to operate substantially as specified.

5. The main frame having the braces O 0, provided with the castings D D, having lateral flanges to engage the opposite ends of the said braces and hold the same folded, substantially as specified.

6. The combination, with the main frame having its intermediate rounds provided with the books or lugs B, having a lateral shoulder, of the pivoted legs, and the braces pivotally connected at one end to the legs and at their other endswith apertured castings D D, respectively, said castings having a spring, as L, located to one side of the aperture in each, to cause an automaticlocking of the hooks and castings, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in I I0 presence of two witnesses.

HORACE D. PARK E.

WVitnesses FRED Y. SPENCER, E. O. WRIGHT. 

